As a Rural Ohioan, I See J.D. Vance for Who He Is
Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper wrote the following piece for Barn Raising Media.
Growing up in Appalachia, I learned that there are certain values you’re likely to see in most rural Ohioans.
We respect authenticity and can spot a phony when we see one. We take pride in our communities. We believe in the dignity of hard work, yet we also understand that circumstances can force us into situations where we need a little help, and we are always willing to help our neighbors without judgment. We are strongly independent and believe that we can make our own decisions without government interference.
J.D. Vance can spin a lot of things about his life, but we can see who he really is by examining the core values that animate him, and in that respect, J.D. Vance doesn’t look like the people I know from home.